Travelers plan to spend more time and money on trips to make up for lost travel

Lebanon, N.H. – April 18, 2022 – Travelers want a pandemic-related policy requirement for negative COVID test before returning to the U.S. from abroad eliminated, according to the world’s most experienced travelers responding to the Global Rescue Spring 2022 Traveler Safety and Sentiment Survey.

A third of travelers (32%) say the U.S. government should immediately eliminate for everyone the requirement for a negative COVID test for fully vaccinated inbound international travelers to the U.S. while nearly an equal amount (34%) say the requirement should be removed for U.S. citizens but not non-citizens.

“Unfortunately, many of today’s governmental rules are not medically indicated.  We’re hopeful that changes soon,” said Dan Richards, CEO of Global Rescue, the world’s leading provider of medical, security, evacuation and travel risk management services and a member of the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board at the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The overwhelming majority of travelers (84%) are less or much less concerned about travel today compared to the beginning of the pandemic. But 15% of survey-takers report producing a negative COVID-19 test to meet U.S. re-entry requirements is their main travel concern behind being stranded away from home after testing positive for COVID-19.

According to the survey, many travelers believe they no longer need pandemic protocols, including masking and physical distancing. Almost half of the respondents (42%) say there are no pandemic-related behaviors they plan to continue unless required. A third (33%) of respondents disagree and say they plan to continue masking despite easing of mask requirements.

“Travelers want to travel now more than ever. One–out–of four travelers (27%) will spend more time or more money – or both – on trips to make up for curtailed travel due to the pandemic. They’re going to get their travel revenge once governments allow them to move with fewer or no restrictions,” Richards said.

About the Global Rescue Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey

Global Rescue, the leading travel risk and crisis response provider, conducted a survey of more than 1,200 of its current and former members between April 5 and 9, 2022. The respondents exposed a significant range in travel confidence and international travel activity as well as preferences for international travel policies.

Contact Bill McIntyre at bmcintyre@globalrescue.com or 202.560.1195 (phone/text) for more information.

About Global Rescue

Global Rescue is the world’s leading provider of medical, security, evacuation and travel risk management services to enterprises, governments and individuals. Founded in 2004, Global Rescue has exclusive relationships with the Johns Hopkins Emergency Medicine Division of Special Operations and Elite Medical Group. Global Rescue provides best-in-class services that identify, monitor and respond to client medical and security crises. Global Rescue has provided medical and security support to its clients, including Fortune 500 companies, governments and academic institutions, during every globally significant crisis of the last two decades. For more information, visit www.globalrescue.com.